Detroit Lions: Releasing Trey Flowers opens the door for others

Sometimes a big-time investment doesn’t pay off in the way you expect it will.  That’s precisely the case with Detroit Lions defensive end Trey Flowers.

This news comes as no surprise; like many, I’ve been predicting this move for months because it just makes sense both financially and for the player.  Flowers will benefit from a fresh start, and he will be granted a fresh start.

The Detroit Lions made a massive splash in free agency when they signed Flowers, who was widely considered as the top player to hit the open market, to a gigantic five-year deal worth $90 million.

After three lackluster seasons, Flowers will be looking for a new home once the new league year begins starting on March 16th.

The transaction will free up $10.3 million in cap space this offseason but will carry a dead cap figure of $12.8 million.

Many fans are suggesting Flowers will head back to New England, where he had plenty of success in Bill Belichick’s defensive scheme, and let’s be honest, many and I mean many players that leave New England and fail to live up to expectations find themselves back with the Patriots.  The first two that come to mind are former Detroit Lions linebackers Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy.

Flowers, usually a favorite of Pro Football Focus, produced an overall grade of 63.2, the worst grade as a starter in his career this past season.  Over the past two seasons, Flowers appeared in just 14 games, recording just 3.5 sacks.  This followed a solid first year with Detroit, where he played 15 games, notching seven sacks.

For those who followed Flowers, we knew he’d never put up the gaudy sack numbers.  He’s more of an edge-setter who can get home but plays the run effectively and, when he’s right, demands a double-team allowing his teammates a free pass to the ball-carrier.

With the Detroit Lions set to release Trey Flowers, it opens the door for others.

The keyword is ‘others.’  By freeing up just over $10 million, the Detroit Lions will have the funds to go sign a proven pass-catcher, perhaps Allen Robinson or my favorite available receiver D.J. Chark to help bolster their receiving room.

Or, the Detroit Lions may elect to re-sign Charles Harris, who performed exceptionally well in relief as Flowers found himself in and out of the lineup last season.  Also, Detroit was without Romeo Okwara for most of the year after suffering a season-ending injury.

This move will also allow young edge-rushers Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant, who saw valuable reps last season, a bigger slice of the pie in 2022.

It also opens the door for the Detroit Lions to draft a rookie edge rusher with the no. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, whether it is Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, or even Travon Walker.

Detroit can simply draft a pass-rusher and allocate Flowers’ savings elsewhere.